Chapter 2: The Signature
Victor Hayes stood beneath the store's brilliant ceiling lights, breathing hard.
Nobody moved.
The guards remained frozen halfway between Adrian and the entrance.
Camille looked at her father as if she'd never seen him before.
“Dad?””
Victor didn't answer.
His eyes stayed on Adrian.
Adrian remained beside the counter, the contract folder tucked calmly beneath one arm.
Monica glanced at Victor.
“Mr. Hayes, are you all right?””
Victor finally moved.
He stepped forward.
“Camille,” he said quietly, “come here.””
She didn't.
Instead, she pointed at Adrian.
“You know him.””
Victor's jaw tightened.
“Camille.””
“You know him,” she repeated.
Adrian watched her carefully.
Victor lowered his voice.
“Not here.””
Camille laughed bitterly.
“Not here?””
She looked around the store.
“Dad, you just ran through the front doors screaming at security because they were removing a man you apparently know.””
Victor's face tightened.
“Enough.””
“No.””
Camille stepped closer.
“You owe me an explanation.””
Adrian opened the folder.
Victor immediately noticed.
“Don't.””
The single word stopped Camille.
Adrian turned one page.
Victor's eyes followed it.
“You shouldn't have brought this here,” Victor said.
Adrian looked up.
“I didn't.””
He held the folder out slightly.
“Your daughter did.””
Camille's face flushed.
“That's my contract.””
Adrian nodded.
“I know.””
“Then give it back.””
“No.””
Her mouth fell open.
Victor closed his eyes briefly.
“Adrian.””
Camille froze.
It was the first time her father had said his name.
She looked at him.
“Adrian?””
Victor didn't respond.
Camille turned toward the manager.
“Monica, you knew about this?””
Monica shook her head immediately.
“No, ma'am.””
“Then why did he know about the acquisition?””
“I don't know.””
Adrian tapped the signature page.
“You might want to read page seventeen.””
Camille stared at him.
“I've read it.””
“No, you haven't.””
“Yes, I have.””
“You read the summary.””
Camille's confidence flickered.
Adrian slid the page across the counter.
“Read the signature block.””
She snatched it.
Her eyes moved downward.
Her face slowly changed.
Victor stepped toward her.
“Camille, give me the document.””
She ignored him.
“What is this?””
Adrian said nothing.
Camille read the paragraph again.
Then she looked at her father.
“Why does this say the acquisition is contingent on approval from the principal investor?””
Victor's voice was low.
“Because it is.””
“And why wasn't I told?””
Victor didn't answer.
Camille looked at Adrian.
“Are you the principal investor?””
Adrian's expression remained unreadable.
“I didn't say that.””
Her eyes narrowed.
“Then who are you?””
Before Adrian could answer, his phone vibrated.
He checked the screen.
Victor noticed.
“Is that them?””
Adrian nodded.
Camille stepped forward.
“Who?””
Adrian answered.
“Your acquisition team.””
He put the phone on speaker.
A man's nervous voice came through.
“Mr. Cole?””
Camille stared at Adrian.
Victor's face went pale.
Adrian said, “Go ahead.””
“We received the cancellation instruction. The board wants confirmation.””
“You have it.””
A pause.
“Mr. Cole, are you certain?””
“Yes.””
The call ended.
Camille stared at him.
“Cole?””
Adrian put his phone away.
“You're making this more complicated than it needs to be.””
“Who is Mr. Cole?””
Victor looked toward the guards.
“Everyone needs to leave.””
Camille snapped toward him.
“No.””
“Camille.””
“No, Dad.””
She stepped between Victor and Adrian.
“You're not sending me away.””
Victor's voice hardened.
“I'm trying to protect you.””
“From him?””
“Yes.””
The answer came too quickly.
Camille looked stunned.
Adrian watched Victor.
“You're still doing that,” Adrian said.
Victor's face tightened.
“Doing what?””
“Protecting her from the truth.””
Silence.
Camille slowly turned toward her father.
“What truth?””
Victor looked at Adrian.
Adrian looked back.
Neither spoke.
Then Monica noticed something sticking out from the folder.
A second document.
She pointed.
“Mr. Hayes... there's another page.””
Adrian pulled it free.
It was an old-looking corporate authorization sheet.
At the bottom was a signature.
Victor's.
But beside it was another name.
Camille leaned closer.
Her face went blank.
“That's impossible.””
Adrian folded the document once.
Victor whispered, “You kept it.””
“I kept everything.””
Camille looked at her father.
“Dad, whose signature is that?””
Victor said nothing.
“Dad.””
Still nothing.
Camille turned to Adrian.
“Tell me.””
Adrian's phone rang again.
This time, he didn't answer immediately.
He looked at the caller ID.
Then at Victor.
“Your past just called.””
Victor's face drained of color.
Adrian accepted the call.
A woman's voice came through.
“Mr. Cole, we've found the original.””
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“The original what?””
The woman hesitated.
“The original ownership agreement.””
Victor whispered one word.
“No.””
Adrian slowly looked at him.
“Where is it?””
The woman answered.
“Inside the Hayes family vault.””
May you like
Camille stared at her father.
And Victor realized the secret he'd buried for decades was no longer buried.
